Malahat Spirits Co.

I'm not typically a rum drinker...

I blame it on the captain. 

But hey, I'm all about second chances, 

so when I received an invitation to come check out a new San Diego distillery and tasting room,

I decided to give rum another shot.

So glad I did!

Malahat Spirits, 

established by Tony Grillo, Ken Lee and Tom Bleakley, 

is named after a five masted schooner that sailed down the West Coast during Prohibition. 

 Capable of carrying over 60,000 cases of spirits, 

she delivered more contraband liquor than any other ship in the Pacific. 

Anchoring off the coast of Southern California, 

she delivered her spirits to rum runners who would take the precious cargo to shore to awaiting patrons. She quickly became known as “The Queen of Rum Row”,

so if you drank your liquor in San Diego during Prohibition, 

chances are your booze came from the Malahat.  

 I personally sat down with one of the partners, Ken, 

and had six samples of their signature rum flavors. 

Malahat rums are all small-batch, handcrafted artisan rums. 

The company focuses on a white rum, a spiced rum and a ginger rum,

but they've also been playing with seasonal flavors,

and let me just tell you, 

the candy cane rum is out of this world!

Stop in for a tasting, and for just $15

you'll receive a first-class education about Malahat's distillery process,

six samples, and a glass for you to take home. 

I highly recommend it!

Malahat Spirits Co.

8706 Production Ave.

San Diego, 92121 

Rare Form & Fairweather

I know that I'm supposed to be all jolly and festive around this time of the year,

but I'm just not feelin it.

Maybe because the temperature has maintained around the mid-seventies until about 1.5 days ago,

or maybe I'm just puzzled about how a whole year has slipped by me again,

but I'm just not ready for Christmas.

Nope. 

We can try again in about a month, 

perhaps I'll come around.

Yeah right... I wish we can just stop time when we needed too. 

Instead, I'm constantly late, and stressed, and annoyed by the fact that there's never a single parking spot available around Fashion Valley in December. 

Happy Holidays.

If anyone out there is feeling my sentiments about how rough life in San Diego is,

we have about 20 seconds to bitch about it after you finish reading this post. 

After that, nobody will want to hear it, because lets face it - 

San Diego is pretty much perfect. 

But don't worry,  if the stress is getting to you, like it is to me, there's still hope.

The best advice I can give, is just to stop and smell the roast beef. 

I was feeling particularly sorry for myself last weekend,

so I decided to pause, and find a lunch spot that offers easy and delicious food, 

and if they happened to serve liquor,

well heck, that wouldn't of hurt either. 

I pulled out my phone, and gave my "SD Restuarant To-Do List" a quick scroll. 

Rare Form stood out like a sore thumb.

So while all the fools were fighting over parking spots at the mall, 

I nabbed a spot right in front of Petco Park,

which just happens to be adjacent to the newly opened bar-meets-deli.

Instant gratification. 

RARE FORM 44 - Pastrami, Braised Sauerkraut, Swiss, Special Sauce, Grilled Rye 

If I had to describe this spot with movie titles,

I would say it's a little bit of When Harry Met Sally meets Harry Potter.

The menu is pretty straight forward - 

sandwiches, soups and salads. 

But this is no ordinary deli.

It's just so... hipster, which automatically makes food taste so much better, right?

Like, you're so much cooler because you're eating this sandwich in this cool spot downtown, 

surrounded by other cool young people, and therefore, 

the endorphins that you get from all that make the food taste exponentially better. 

At least, that's my theory. 

So after you catch up with your other hipster friends,

and fill that belly with intelligent carbs.... 

Please proceed through the hallway, to your right, through a door that says "YES" and up the stairs. 

Be sure to perform an obligatory photoshoot with the rated-R piece of art, 

and you shall be rewarded with a little trip to paradise.

Also known as Fairweather,

a rooftop bar directly atop of Rare Form,

that just happens to have the best views of Petco Park. 

Treat yourself to a craft cocktail, 

and count your blessings for being able to consume a fruity cocktail (with an umbrella!),

while you soak in the sun rays. In December. 

#InLoveWithSanDiego

Tony's GROGoni - The world's famous Anthony Schmidt's version of the grog.
If you like Campari, this is your jam. 

Rare Form & Fairweather

793 J Street,

Downtown, San Diego, CA

Day at the Museum

I love being a tourist in my own city.

Any excuse to get lost in beautiful Balboa Park is good enough for me, 

so when I saw that there is a new exhibit going on at the San Diego Natural History Museum,

I made it a point to make my way over to the historical landmark.

The Discovery of King Tut recreates the awe and marvel of the moment of discovery.
Using state-of-the-art technology, the exhibition recreates a piece of the fascinating, bygone exotic empire on the Nile.
It's a great visit back in time, and overall, provides a good overview of the excavation itself, its story, and its invaluable legacy.

This was my first time visiting the SD Natural History Museum since....
I don't even know, fifth grade?!
Oh what I would give to go back to those days.. a whole week of field trips around Balboa Park?
Sounds amazing.
Kind of made me feel like a kid again,
and who doesn't love that?

The tickets for the King Tut exhibit includes admission to the whole museum, 

so make sure you schedule in a few hours to check out the rest of the NAT.

A little nature outside the Natural History Museum. 

How perfect. 

San Diego Natural History Museum
1788 El Prado, Balboa Park
San Diego, CA 92101